Smith's Double-Double Lifts 'Cats Past Stony Brook, 3-2

Friday, November 15

Stony Brook, N.Y.

6:30 PM

University of New Hampshire

17-7,7-2America Eas

Stony Brook University

9-16,4-6America Eas

New Hampshire

Stony Brook

Photo by: Meghan Murphy

11/15/2019 10:16:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

UNH Secures No. 2 Seed in Upcoming America East Championship Tournament by Erasing 2-0 Deficit

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Kennedi Smith (The Woodlands, Texas) recorded 20 kills and 11 digs to lead the University of New Hampshire volleyball team to Friday night's 3-2 comeback victory against Stony Brook University at Pritchard Gym.

After dropping the first two sets (25-20, 25-20), UNH stormed back to win the final three sets (25-16, 25-23, 21-19) and the match. The Wildcats extended their winning streak to three matches to improve to 17-7 overall and 7-2 in America East, as well as secure the No. 2 seed in the upcoming America East Championships.

SBU, which had a pair of match points in Set 5, is now 9-16, 4-6.

UP NEXT:

UNH wraps up the regular season Nov. 17 (1 p.m.) at Hartford.
The Wildcats are the second seed of the 2019 America East Championship tournament that will be held Nov. 22-23 at UAlbany.

STAT LEADERS

Smith matched her career high of 22.5 points with 20 kills (on a .294 hitting percentage), two service aces and an assisted block. And with 11 digs, she recorded her team-leading seventh double-double of the season.
Hannah Petke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) finished with season highs in both points (19) and kills (17). Her other stats included a .400 hitting percentage and three blocks (one solo, two assisted).
Abby Sullivan (Methuen, Mass.) tallied 12 points on 10 kills (.435 hitting percentage) and four assisted blocks.
Emma Patlovich (Lake Forest, Ill.) recorded her third double-double of the year with 27 assists and career-high 17 digs.
Wren Macaulay (Lake Orion, Mich.) contributed 23 assists, nine digs and matched her career high of five service aces.
Emily Tanski (Plymouth, Mich.) finished with a team-high 26 digs and matched her season high of three aces.
Logan Welti (Middleton, Wis.) had 13 digs and two aces.

UNH NOTEBOOK

New Hampshire improved to 26-16 lifetime against Stony Brook by completing the sweep of the season series. UNH has won 12 of the past 14 matchups.
Patlovich became the fifth Wildcat to reach the 2,000 assist milestone by increasing her career total to 2,021.
Tanski is No. 2 on UNH's career digs list with 1,456. Madison Lightfoot holds the record of 1,657.
Kennedi Smith climbed two spots to No. 7 in career kills (1,047); ahead of her is No. 6 Morgan Thatcher (1,168).
Smith advanced to No. 8 on the all-time points list with 1,232.5; next on the list is No. 7 Morgan Thatcher (1,322).
UNH's 91 digs is second on this year's list of single-season superlatives to the 92 vs. Loyola. The 59 assists are also second and the 61 kills ranks third.
There were a total of 40 tie scores and 22 lead changes in the five sets.

SET 1

There was no tie scores or lead changes in the first set.
Stony Brook won the first two points of the match and built a 10-3 lead.
UNH won four consecutive points to close within 15-13 and closed within one point, 16-15.
The Seawolves won the next two points, however, and surge to a 20-16 advantage.
SBU closed out the set, 25-20, by winning the last two points.

SET 2

There were 11 tie scores and six lead changes in the second set.
Trailing 8-7, the Wildcats reeled off four consecutive points to take an 11-8 lead.
SBU erased a three-point deficit with a 5-0 run that put the home team back ahead, 15-13.
UNH responded to take a 16-15 lead, but then with the score tied at 17, the Seawolves surged out to a 23-17 advantage.
The 'Cats closed within 23-20, but Stony Brook won the next two points to take Set 2 and a 2-0 match lead.

SET 3

There was one tie score and no lead changes in the third set.
UNH's 5-1 run gave the Wildcats a 9-4 lead.
With New Hampshire leading 11-7, a kill by Sullivan and two by Petke pushed the margin to 14-7 and SBU never got closer than six points the rest of the set.

SET 4

There were 13 ties and eight lead changes in the fourth set.
The teams exchanged points in the early stages and then a 3-1 spurt by SBU gave the home team a 7-5 lead that prompted UNH to call time out.
Macaulay's fifth service ace of the match gave the Wildcats a 12-11 lead and the Seawolves called their first timeout of the set.
SBU won the next three points to regain the lead, 14-12.
A kill by Kennedi Smith ignited a UNH run of three consecutive points to put the 'Cats back on top, 15-14.
With Stony Brook leading 20-18, a service error by the Seawolves was followed by three consecutive Petke kills to give New Hampshire a 22-20 lead.
After a UNH attack error stopped the 4-0 run, Petke tallied another kill for a 23-21 advantage.
A thunderous kill by Smith advanced the score to set points, 24-22. SBU fended off one set point, but another kill by Smith sent the match to a decisive fifth set.

SET 5

There were 15 ties and eight lead changes in the fifth set as the teams combined to erase six match points before UNH finally closed it out on its fifth match point.
With UNH trailing 2-1, back-to-back kills by Petke were followed by consecutive aces by Tanski and another Petke kill to give the Wildcats a 6-2 lead.
Following a Stony Brook timeout, the Seawolves ended the 5-0 run but the 'Cats immediately responded with a kill by Smith to reestablish a four-point margin, 7-3.
SBU inched within 7-5, prompting a UNH timeout, but the Seawolves won the next two points to level the score at 7.
Stony Brook surged in front, 10-9, but a combined block by Sullivan and Erin Hedrick (Monvale, N.J.) tied the score and Petke's kill gave the 'Cats an 11-10 advantage.
SBU responded with two consecutive points to regain the lead, 12-11.
The Seawolves committed a pair of attack errors, the second on a combined block by Petke and Sullivan, put New Hampshire back in front, 13-12.
The home team called time out and once again tied the score at 13.
UNH then called the last timeout of the match and earned match points at 14-13, 15-14, 16-15 and 17-16.
SBU had match points at 18-17 and 19-18, but both were negated by Sullivan kills.
Sullivan and Petke combined on a block to give the 'Cats a 20-19 lead, and this time UNH closed out the set and match on a kill by Petke.